Top Tips on Replacing Your Door Locks

There are lots of reasons that we get calls to attend a house as an emergency locksmith to replace locks on doors.  Sometimes it even includes safe repairs if there has been a break-in.  But whatever the situation, there are steps we follow to ensure our clients get the right locks on their doors.

The basics

The first thing we look at is the basics of door locks and what the door currently has.  The front door of the house should have at least one deadbolt.  This is the actual security of the door, not the handle lock which is often a spring-loaded latch that doesn’t extend into the door frame the way a deadbolt does.  In fact, latches can often be bypassed with a simple credit card trick.  But the deadbolt is a serious lock that is hard to bypass.

Outer doors use a different type of lock to what you would put on a bathroom or other internal rooms.  That’s because external doors need to handle attempted burglaries and vandalism while internal locks are just to stop embarrassing bathroom incidents!

How much security is needed?

As well as the deadbolt, other security may be required.  Everyone wants to feel safe in their home and how this looks can vary depending on where you live.  We work across Brighton, Worthing, Haywards Heath, Crawley and Hove areas and we are happy to help with tips about how much security you need when we visit.

One consideration is how much force can be applied to the lock before a deadbolt fails.  Lock pick resistance is also another factor, but lock bumping is a more common issue to deal with.  All locks can be picked with the right equipment which is why extra locks are often added for additional reassurance.  But there’s nothing to say you have to have loads of extra locks – it is a personal preference.

How easy are the locks to use?

We also look at how easy locks are to use for our clients.  You don’t want an elaborate system that takes ten minutes to put into action every time you leave the house.  For example, if there are a few people in the house and lots of activity, a mortise lock may be better than a standard rim cylinder deadbolt.

We always look to offer the balance of security levels versus ease of use to help our clients get the right locks.

Quality over brand

There’s no doubt that brand recognition is something we all fall into, but our job is to help you get the best quality locks, not just a specific brand.  And that’s why we only use locks approved to the right standards and industry recognised but we don’t always use big-name brands. 

If a lesser known brand is the best solution for your change of locks, that’s what we will offer.  The same applies for additional locks and even safe locks if you find you need to have a safe repair service at the same time